28. After the great Caesar’s death and burial, his friends counselled Octavian to cultivate Antonius’ friendship, and put him in charge of his interests....[136] And though there were many other contributory causes toward disagreement between them, he[137] seemed the more to incite enmity between them, for he was at odds with Octavian, and a partisan of Antonius. Octavian, however, in no wise frightened, because of his high spirit, gave some exhibitions on the occasion of the festival of Venus Genetrix which his father had established. He again[138] approached Antonius with a number of his friends, requesting that permission be given for the throne and wreath to be set up in his father’s honor. Antonius made the same threat as before, if he did not drop that proposal and keep quiet. Octavian withdrew and made no opposition to the veto of the consul. When he entered the theatre, however, the people applauded him loudly, and his father’s soldiers, angered because he had been prevented from paying tribute to the honored memory of his father, gave him, as a mark of their approval, one round of applause after another all through the performance. Then he counted out for the people their allotted money, and that secured him their especial good will.[139] From that day Antonius was manifestly still more ill disposed toward Octavian who stood in the way of the people’s zeal for him. Octavian saw (what had become very plain to him from the present situation) that he was in need of political authority. He also saw that the consuls,[140] secure in much power, were openly resisting him and appropriating still more power for themselves. Even the city treasury, which his father had filled with funds, they had emptied within two months[141] after Caesar’s death, wasting money in large lots on any excuse that offered in the general confusion; and furthermore they were on good terms with the assassins.[142] So Octavian was the only one left to avenge his father, for Antonius let the whole matter pass, and was even in favor of an amnesty for the assassins. A number of men, indeed, joined Octavian, but many joined Antonius and Dolabella also. There were others who, from a middle ground, tried to foment enmity between them, and in doing so....[143] The chief of these were the following men: Publius, Vibius, Lucius, and especially Cicero.[144] Octavian was not ignorant of the reason why they associated themselves with him, trying to provoke him against Antonius, but he did not repel them, for he wished to have their assistance and a more powerful guard thrown around him, though he was aware that each of these men was very little